24 “Amen, amen I say to you that the one who hears my Word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and does not come into judgment, but has been transferred out of death into life. (John 5:24 a personal translation from the NA27 Greek text)

I was listening to a discussion today between several theologians as they contrasted the reaction the 1st Century Jews had to Jesus’ claim to deity with that of the heretics who came later. These 1st Century Jews took Jesus’ words in John 5 about his relationship to the Father as claims of deity, that is, making himself equal with God (John 5:18). Heretics who were not from the time of our Lord and were not Jews of that period were the ones who came up with Arianism, Modalism, et cetera. Each of these types of attack on doctrine of the Holy Trinity are proofs that those doing this may have indeed heard the truth (Jesus’ Word), but they have most certainly not believed the Father who sent him. If so they would most certainly not attack that wonderful doctrine that is so hard for the unregenerate to accept let alone believe. What did Jesus say about those who hear his Word and believe him who sent him? These have been granted eternal life.

Look at what Jesus says about that. Those who possess this eternal life do not come into judgment. This is huge. That means that their sins are forgiven. This is their justification. They have been transferred out of death into life. This is their regeneration. Paul called this the washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5). No regeneration, no eternal life, sorry. It must come first for it is with the living faith given to those he saves that we believe the gospel and are so justified by the Father (Ephesians 2:1-10).

25 Amen, amen I say to you that an hour is coming and how is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and the ones having heard will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to the Son to have life in himself, 27 and he gave authority to him to make judgment because he is the Son of Man. (John 5:25-27 a personal translation from the NA27 Greek text)

Our Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son, from eternity always had the right to grant life to those to whom he willed, but at his incarnation as a man, he laid that aside voluntarily to subject his will to the will of the Father. In this passage we have a glimpse of the “already/not yet” tension regarding the resurrection. All in Christ are already spiritually resurrected (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13), and yet a future physical resurrection still awaits them (1 Corinthians 15:35-54; Philippians 3:20,21).

28 Do not marvel at this for an hour is coming in which all those in the graves will hear his voice 29 and will come out. The one having done the good things to a resurrection of life, but the ones having practiced the evil things to a resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:28-29 a personal translation from the NA27 Greek text)

This is very clear and so much for those who preach universalism. These are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus saves those whom he wills, the Father draws them to the Son (John 6:44) and regenerates them so they are able to believe after hearing our Lord’s Word.

8 thoughts on “Who Has Eternal Life?”

Good post Mike; I went round and round with a ‘free willer’ who insisted regeneration comes after they ‘hear’, they insisted the dead hear by choice; after much time, scripture and debate, I had to dust off my feet.

May the true, undistorted, unadulterated Gospel go forth with power. May the doctrines of grace be recovered and proclaimed for the sake of the souls of men.

Amen Lyn, I believe the clearest passage (though there are many others) that shows that our salvation is all of God and not our doing is Ephesians 2:1-10. If any part of our salvation is something we do then that violates what that passage says…

Dear Mike,
Grace and peace in Christ Jesus!
May God continue to strengthen you for the task at hand.
“For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.” Hebrews 6:10
Blessings, charisse

Amen. Why redeem the world/culture when the Lord already redeemed His chosen ones? He doesn’t need to redeem anything else!

Those that want to redeem culture do so only to be more comfortable in this broken sinful world, because they love the world, and ignore the promises of a new heaven and a new earth, and the promise to be with the Lord forever for those for whom He died.

Therefore, I urge you brothers through the compassions of God to present your bodies as living, holy sacrifices, well pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service. And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may discern the will of God, that which is good and well pleasing and perfect.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. (Colossians 1:24-26 ESV)

The way of escape

"To believe that He will preserve us is, indeed, a means of preservation. God will certainly preserve us, and make a way of escape for us out of the temptation, should we fall. We are to pray for what God has already promised. Our requests are to be regulated by His promises and commands. Faith embraces the promises and so finds relief." - John Owen

How to be free from bondage to our flesh and temptation

"If we do not abide in prayer, we will abide in temptation. Let this be one aspect of our daily intercession: 'God, preserve my soul, and keep my heart and all its ways so that I will not be entangled.' When this is true in our lives, a passing temptation will not overcome us. We will remain free while others lie in bondage." - John Owen

Meta

About me

My name is Mike Ratliff. I am a δοῦλος (slave) of the Κύριον ᾿Ιησοῦν Χριστόν (Lord Jesus Christ.) I have been a Bible teacher since the late 1980's. I am currently learning Koine Greek, which I began in 1992 and will continue to do so until the Lord takes me home. I am Reformed in my theology because I recognize that God is Sovereign over all things. I write these posts as God directs. I am also part of the discernment team at Christian Research Network.

OTHERS MAY, YOU CANNOT

by G. D. Watson

If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 16:24-25

If God has called you to be truly like Jesus in all your spirit, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility. He will put on you such demands of obedience that you will not be allowed to follow other Christians. In many ways, He seems to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.

Others who seem to be very religious and useful may push themselves, pull wires, and scheme to carry out their plans, but you cannot. If you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others can brag about themselves, their work, their successes, their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing. If you begin to do so, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others will be allowed to succeed in making great sums of money, or having a legacy left to them, or in having luxuries, but God may supply you only on a day-to-day basis, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, a helpless dependence on Him and His unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and put forward while keeping you hidden in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade.

God may let others be great, but keep you small. He will let others do a work for Him and get the credit, but He will make you work and toil without knowing how much you are doing. Then, to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work which you have done; this to teach you the message of the Cross, humility, and something of the value of being cloaked with His nature.

The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch on you, and with a jealous love rebuke you for careless words and feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.

So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and has a right to do as He pleases with His own, and that He may not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealings with you.

God will take you at your word. If you absolutely sell yourself to be His slave, He will wrap you up in a jealous love and let other people say and do many things that you cannot. Settle it forever; you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue or chaining your hand or closing your eyes in ways which others are not dealt with. However, know this great secret of the Kingdom: When you are so completely possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven, the high calling of God.